🪚 Talent Thursdays: Talking shop

Good morning! 🛹 The world’s most famous skateboard is up for sale to finance construction projects. Tony Hawk announced he is auctioning off the skateboard he used to do the first ever 900 to build safe and inclusive skateparks in underserved areas

What’s in the newsletter:

💼 MLA’s new gig

💵 Racial wage gaps

🧠 Neurodivergent recruitment

📈 LABOUR BY THE NUMBERS

Average weekly earnings for Canadian workers rose 4.4% year-over-year in April to $1,297, outpacing the 1.7% rise in inflation, according to Statistics Canada. Sectors like information and cultural industries (+10%) and real estate (+9.7%) saw the biggest gains, while mining and oil and gas remained the highest-earning sector at $2,492 per week. Despite earnings growth, job vacancies fell sharply in key sectors including construction (-13.8%).

👷‍♀️ PEOPLE MOVES

Michael Lindsay has been appointed as President and Chief Executive Officer at Metrolinx, effective July 1. He previously served as Interim President and CEO since December 2024.

Angela Clayton, CPA ICD.D has been permanently appointed as CEO of Infrastructure Ontario. Michael Lindsay will continue as CEO of Metrolinx.

Michael de Jong has joined Maple Leaf Strategies as Strategic Advisor - Western Canada. He served as an MLA from 1994 to 2024 and held key ministerial roles including Minister of Finance, Health, Aboriginal Relations, and Attorney General under Premiers Gordon Campbell and Christy Clark.

Luc Jolicoeur has been appointed to CIMA+'s board of directors.

Bird Infrastructure has promoted 3 Leaders: Robert Sgro has been promoted to Director, Service; Brandon Pinch to Vice President, Specialty Trades & Service; and Andrew Rowland to Senior Vice President.

Diamond Schmitt has announced multiple promotions: Iva Radikova has been appointed Principal; Dieter Janssen, Jose Trinidad, and Mehdi Ghiyaei have been named Senior Associates; Anthony Brown, Houng Te, Mojdeh Vali, Sarah Mercer, and Vesna Maklenovic Al-Hamadani have been promoted to Associates; and Christiano Mahler has advanced to Director of Visualization.

Duncan Todd-Hughes is starting a new position as Director, Centre of Excellence at Chandos Construction.

Yama Danishwar has joined Buildots as Senior Account Executive, focusing on expanding the company's presence across Canada. He previously spent nearly three years at Revizto working with construction leaders in North America.

Cameron Shantz, Director of Parkin Architects, will retire this year after 38 years with the firm. He led significant healthcare infrastructure projects including Canada's first P3 hospital and first Alliance contract healthcare project.

🗞 HEADLINES

🪚 Empty shops: Experts say Canada’s efforts to address its skilled trades shortage are being undermined by a critical lack of shop teachers in high schools, especially in B.C. and Ontario. Specialized training requirements, lower pay compared to trades work, and costly, lengthy retraining programs are deterring tradespeople from transitioning into education. Without more tech-ed teachers, shop classes are being cancelled or shuttered.

🧠 Neurodivergent: A new program in B.C. is helping address the skilled trades labour shortage by supporting neurodivergent learners through personalized, inclusive training. Vancouver’s Learning Disabilities Society (LDS), in partnership with SkilledTradesBC, has launched RISE to Work, a flexible program offering one-on-one instruction, custom learning profiles, and assistive tools to help neurodivergent adults access careers in construction, manufacturing, and other in-demand trades.

⚒️ Pay cut: A new report from B.C.’s Anti-Racism Data Committee has found significant wage gaps between racialized and white workers across multiple sectors, including construction-related fields like trades, manufacturing, and transport. Using census data, the study showed racialized workers earned less in 11 of 26 occupational groups, even when age, education, and gender were accounted for. In some cases, white workers with less education made more than racialized peers with degrees.

🧠 LEADERSHIP

Resources for professional development

• Agentic AI and how it’s transforming labour

• How to manage your subcontractors (and why it matters)

• Leading without ego as a construction entrepreneur 

• Why recruiting was key to Apple’s success 

• Study: 5 ‘mindshifts’ CEOs use to grow a business

💬 QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"AI isn't going to fix a hole in your roof.” - Marvin Ellison, CEO, Lowe’s

🔥HOT JOBS

Senior Project Manager - Calgary, Alta. - Clark Builders

Director of Construction - Edmonton, Alta. - NDura

Manager, Special Projects - Halifax, N.S. - PCL

Manager, Marketing/Partnerships - Ottawa, Ont. - Canadian Construction Association

Project Manager, Mass Timber Prefab/Modular - Vancouver, B.C. - Kalesnikoff

Check out all roles up for grabs right now at SiteNews Jobs or put your job post in front of tens of thousands of construction professionals here.

Struggling to fill a role? Send us an email at [email protected] to connect with one of our specialized recruitment experts.

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Here’s to a great rest of the week!

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